Richt is a stand up guy that UGA fans still think is one of their best coaches ever. He is a textbook example of a good coach, but struggled to be one of the greats. His teams were very good, but a combination of random lack of execution and just plain bad luck plagued his career. However, still one of the most winningest coaches of the time. He elevated the floor of UGA football, setting the stage for Kirby to dominate. Richt left UGA as a turnkey operation for Kirby to easily take over. For that, he is beloved at UGA. There is no Kirby domination without Richt.
I voted too early to tell, as I still believe Heupel has a chance to be better. However, if he ends up being our Richt, setting the stage for the next guy to dominate, then I will still think of Heupel's time here fondly.